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[Hoppinchins]

ug, it won't let me post the pictures

[Hoppinchins]

Ok, so it should work this time. Apperently the ones I took with my camera were to big, so i took them with my phone.  So that didn't work either. So now i put them on facebook and saved the picture at again. So the 1st one is where the round part is facing the inside of the cage and the 2nd one is where it is facing the outside of the cage.

[cadillactaste]

Your pictures are really small...I even attempted to enlarge them...I think the first one myself...then it would fit snug up against the cage right verses the second picture...then again it's really a small picture.

Good job getting them already...you go girl! Wanna see finished pictures of them in the cage.

[Jo Ann]

  The rounded side does face the inside of the cage.  If you put the flat side to inside of the cage, that is an open invitation to the chins to start chewing.  Didn't think about it before, but you could double the molding and have it rounded inside and out.      If you will e-mail me the pictures, I can fix them to be able to upload ... in the meantime, I will try to enlarge these for you.   I can't wait to see the finished pictures!  I'll get the ready for you to post.   

   Jo Ann

I enlarged them best I could, but that's hard to do with a cell phone photo.    

The first one is correct ... the rounded part facing the inside.  You can now click on them to inlarge them.   A side view would be better.

[Hoppinchins]

  Thanks Jo Ann for enlarging the pictures. I am going to try to do the shelves today. Depinding on how easy it is for me to do the shelves, I think i'm going to try to make some chew toys. I'm excited!!

I never thought of it that way, If the flat part was inside the cage it was an open invitation for them to chew. I would like them to last awhile. 

Thanks cadillactaste , I will post pictures when I have the new shelves in! 

[Hoppinchins]

My top shelve I have now has a hole were I can put the food dish in, but the new shelve won't, Can i buy a food dish that attaches to the cage, or can I tape the dish down or somethin or should I just put the dish on the floor? I think if i would put the dish on the floor that they would knock it down though.

[Hoppinchins]

So. now that I have wood shelves, I'm guess I don't use vinager to clean them. Is that right?

[Jo Ann]

   You can make a hole in the wood to fit the feeder, but, unless you already have the equipment, it might be a bit expensive that way.  The equipment I am speaking of in the same that is used to put round holes in doors to install the doornobs.  The cutting circles come in different sizes. 

Unless the feeding dish is heavy ceramic and has straight sides, it would probably not work very well.  It would probably be best just to go to the pet store, in the bird section and get one of the metal cups that set in a holder that is attached to the side of the cage.  OR you can get a "J" feeder and install that in the side of the cage.  The metal cup in the holder would be the easiest and least expensive for the price.  The cups can be removed and cleaned easily.

When you've had chins as long as I have, especially as many as I have, you have to learn all the ways to save money and still have plenty of safe toys and things for your chinchillas.

Vinegar ... You could still use a vinegar and water solution, but you would have to remove them, clean them and let them dry completely before putting them back in the cage.  A hand vac and sandpaper usually work pretty good on the wood shelves.  The only time you have to be concerned is if they have soft poos and the poos get mashed into the shelf, or if one pees on the shelf .... OR if you have a sick chin ... if you have a sick chin I always suggest sterilizing the cage and everything in the cage and replacing the parts that can not be safely/easily sterilized (such as wood and plastic).   

When it comes to cleaning wood and plastic ... if it is liquid and not safe for a human to consume, I don't use it for a chinchilla.   Wood and plastic are porous and will retain some of the chemicals used to clean them.

   Jo Ann

[Hoppinchins]

Thanks. I went to the pet store yesterday and I got the smallest bird food dish they had to attached to my cage. I'm finnally done with the shelves. I'm not to sure about the ledge I have in there if its in a good spot or not.

[Jo Ann]

   You did a beautiful job on the chin's shelves!  I love the little castle hut at the bottom, also.    You never know what you can do until you try it!       When I add more cages to my site, would you mind if I show yours?  (I'll list you as the owner/creator.)   The shelves look fine ... but, watch your chin and see how he likes them ... see if he can maneuver them OK or not.  If he does not go on to a particular shelf very much, you might try adjusting it and then see if he seems to like it better.

What is on the top left shelf?

Please replace the square metal with proper fenderwashers.  Chinchillas are very curious ... sooner or later he will get a cut on the mouth/cheek/face (from trying to chew it), a cut on the front paw (from trying to pull it inside the cage to play with it) or a cut on his tail (from letting his tail hang outside of the cage).   Be sure you get enough for 2 screws and 4 fender washers for each end of each shelf and 2 or 3 sets for the long side of each shelf to attach the shelf to the cage properly.   So you would need 7 screws and 14 fender washers for each shelf , plus 2 screws and 4 fenderwashers for the little leaping ledge/mini shelf.  Grand total of 23 screws and 46 fender washers ... adds up fast, doesn't it?       It looks great!

    Jo Ann

[cadillactaste]

SWEET! Very nice job indeed...what spoiled chins you have...

Jo Ann...I never caught the square washers...Good eye!

[Hoppinchins]

Thanks both.. yes my chins are spolilled. They are supposed to be! 

I am going to replace them sometime this week. Those were just the washeres I could find at my house at the time. My dad already told me I needed to switch them out.

Also my dad didn't think that two screws with the washeres would be sturdy enough for them. I told him It would be, but I think he wants to put an extra one on there. Also he said that in the futur I didn't need to put a washer inside the cage, against the wood. I was wondering if you knew why i needed one there, so I could tell my dad.

That is the marble slab for them to use to cool down. I think I'm going to put it on the lower shelve though. I'm guessing its not really safe to put chew toys on the top shelve? My last shelves were wider so they wouldn't roll of, but these new shelves are not was wide.

Yes you can post that picture for your website. That makes me feel good that you want to post it on your website! 

[cadillactaste]

I can't recall where...But I seen someone build around the chin chiller with wood trim...so it couldn't be moved off the shelf by a chin. They had a hole in the shelf where the chin chiller would rest. So they could lift it up and out from the bottom by pushing their finger through the hole. Just a thought...

[Hoppinchins]

Thanks. I have a wood trim around 3 of the sides of the shelve. I guess I could always get another piece cute to put on the other side. I just don't know if that would make it harder for the chin to jump into the shelve then.

[Jo Ann]

 

I guess I could always get another piece cute to put on the other side. I just don't know if that would make it harder for the chin to jump into the shelve then.

I don't think I would add any more shelves ... it's kinda crowded as it is ... remember they need open spaces to be able to jump around.   

I can't recall where...But I seen someone build around the chin chiller with wood trim...so it couldn't be moved off the shelf by a chin. They had a hole in the shelf where the chin chiller would rest. So they could lift it up and out from the bottom by pushing their finger through the hole. Just a thought...

I've seen those, too ... they are really nice ... only trouble with them would be if a chin urinated on the stone and it ran down into the wood part that holds the slab in place ... wood swells when it gets wet and the bacteria in the urine might have a good breeding place there.  The urine under and on the side of the slab would not dry as quickly as on an open surface.

Also my dad didn't think that two screws with the washeres would be sturdy enough for them. I told him It would be, but I think he wants to put an extra one on there.

 

Nothing wrong with extra strength.     I just gave the instructions Bill gave me when building ours.  Two on each end and 3 along the long side is what we've always done, but everyone does not have to do it the same way.       What I say/do is just the guidelines we have used here at home.   

Also he said that in the futur I didn't need to put a washer inside the cage, against the wood. I was wondering if you knew why i needed one there, so I could tell my dad.

Same as above ... that's just the way we do it ... Bill says it's the way his dad taught him and the way his Grandfather taught his dad.   If everyone did the same thing the exact same way ... life would be boring.       If you have more than one way to do something ... it gives you options ... you get to choose which way is easiest for you.     Both ways would work.   

That is the marble slab for them to use to cool down.

On the top left shelf?  I never put anything heavy on a the shelves unless it is bolted down or is inset.

Is the picture below the one you are talking about?

   Jo Ann